If you are injured in a car accident, slip and fall accident, or other incident, you may have legal options for securing compensation. New Mexico tort laws provide legal recourse for injured victims to seek compensation for their economic and non-economic damages and losses. However, most personal injury cases begin with filing an insurance claim.
Insurance companies have virtually unlimited resources to investigate and dispute injury claims. They have highly trained and experienced adjusters who protect the company’s best interest. An accident victim may have little to no experience settling an insurance claim.
These companies aim to use your lack of experience in their favor. They may use your lack of experience to reduce their liability for your claim.
Fortunately, you have the option of hiring an Albuquerque personal injury lawyer to handle your case. You can also proceed with an insurance claim without a lawyer. So, how do you know if you need to hire a personal injury lawyer to submit an insurance claim in Albuquerque, NM?
Is It Ever Okay To Submit a Claim to an Insurance Company in Albuquerque Without a Lawyer’s Help?
Some situations might not call for an attorney’s help. For example, if you did not sustain serious injuries or incur substantial financial losses, you might be okay with filing your insurance claim without an attorney. Likewise, if you understand insurance law and personal injury law, you might decide to file an insurance claim and represent yourself.
However, insurance claims can be time-consuming and complex. Therefore, ensure you have sufficient time to deal with the insurance company. Some insurance companies make unreasonable demands of individuals not represented by an attorney, hoping they will agree to a low settlement offer and end the case.
Remember, you are going up against trained insurance professionals. If you do not have the experience and knowledge to fight the insurance company, you could receive less than your personal injury claim is worth.
Reasons To Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Albuquerque for Help With Your Case
Many factors could indicate that you need the experience and knowledge of an Albuquerque personal injury attorney. Proceeding with the case without a lawyer might be disastrous. Many of these situations involve complicated legal issues that require extensive legal expertise to navigate.
Situations that indicate you should talk with a personal injury lawyer include:
- The other party or the insurance company alleges that you contributed to the cause of the accident or blames you for causing your injury.
- Your child was injured.
- You or your family member sustained a permanent impairment or catastrophic injury, including spinal cord injuries, amputations, brain injury, or paralysis.
- Your case involves a commercial motor vehicle (i.e., semi-truck, delivery van, construction vehicle, and others).
- The case involves a government employee, vehicle, or entity.
- Multiple parties could be liable for your damages, such as in the case of a multi-vehicle accident.
- A dangerous or defective product injured you, and you need to file a product liability claim.
- The insurance company refuses to acknowledge your claim or engages in bad-faith insurance practices.
- You are unsure what damages you can claim or what your damages are worth.
- Your case involves complex areas of law, such as aviation accidents, maritime law, or accidents on public property or transportation.
- Your accident involved a rideshare vehicle, including Lyft and Uber drivers.
The New Mexico statute of limitations restricts your time to file a personal injury lawsuit. The deadline depends on the type of claim being filed and the facts of the case.
If you don’t file a lawsuit before time runs out, you can lose the right to pursue a claim through the court. A judge can dismiss the lawsuit without ever considering whether you had a valid claim.
Calculating the statute of limitations for a case can be complicated. Exceptions to the statute and the facts of the case can impact the deadline. Therefore, it is best to seek legal advice as soon as possible after an accident or injury.
Should I Meet With an Albuquerque Personal Injury Lawyer Before Talking to the Insurance Company?
In most cases, consulting an attorney after an accident is in your best interest. Learning about your rights and legal options before you talk to an insurance adjuster is wise. Additionally, the consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose by meeting with an attorney.
A claims adjuster should not be viewed as a trusted source for advice. The adjuster works for the insurance company. Their job is to protect the insurance company from liability.
Before you talk with an insurance company about your claim, you might want to consider meeting with a personal injury lawyer in Albuquerque, NM.
What Can an Albuquerque Personal Injury Lawyer Do To Help Me With My Personal Injury Case?
Having an experienced personal injury lawyer handle your case can give you the best chance of receiving a fair settlement for your claim. When you hire a personal injury lawyer, your attorney handles all matters related to your case including but not limited to:
- Independently investigate your claim to determine what caused your injury
- Identify all parties who could be liable for your damages
- Gather evidence proving causation, fault, and liability
- Work with expert witnesses to gather additional evidence to strengthen your claim
- Determine how much your case is worth after documenting your damages
- Advise you of your legal options during each phase of the case
- Discuss the pros and cons of accepting a settlement offer
- Defend you from allegations of contributory fault if you are being blamed for an accident
- Negotiate settlement agreements with insurance companies and at-fault parties
- Monitor the statute of limitations for filing claims and lawsuits
- Pursue a court case if necessary
A personal injury law firm has the resources to hire experts and investigate claims. They have the skills and knowledge to deal with insurance companies and defense firms. They also have the time to commit to your case.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire an Albuquerque Personal Injury Attorney?
At Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers, we accept cases for a contingency fee. We don’t charge you an upfront fee to hire our lawyers. Instead, we agree to accept a percentage of the money we recover for your case. If we don’t successfully handle your case, you owe us nothing in attorney’s fees.
With this structure, you do not need to worry about how to pay attorney’s fees out of pocket. You can also rest assured that we take your case seriously and believe we can win because we are investing our time and resources without any money upfront.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Albuquerque Personal Injury Lawyers
Are you unsure whether you need to hire a personal injury lawyer in Albuquerque? If so, please call Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers at (505) 785-7770 for a free consultation. We’ll evaluate your case, give you an honest assessment of your options, and explain your rights to you free of charge.